Nine booked over Gorakhpur child ‘oxygen’ deaths scandal

Nine people have been booked in connection with the deaths of dozens of children earlier this month at a Gorakhpur hospital, allegedly as a result of an insufficient supply of oxygen, according to media reports.

Over 6o children, most of them infants, died in BRD Medical College’s neonatal intensive care unit. The parents of the deceased say the deaths were caused by the hospital’s oxygen supply being cut off by its vendor after the institution failed to pay its bill, a claim the hospital denies. Business Standard reported that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had assured exemplary action in the case, which has made his government the focus of intense criticism.

Additional Director General (Lucknow Zone) Abhay Prasad told PTI, “A FIR has been filed against nine persons, including former principal Dr Rajiv Mishra, his wife Dr Purnima Shukla, Dr Kafeel Khan and the proprietors of M/s Pushpa Sales.” M/s Pushpa Sales is the company responsible for the supply of liquid oxygen.